“Do you know how hunters in old times used to trap monkeys?” A man asked his son. “Rather than hunt them up a tree or shoot arrows at them, they’d put a heavy jar with a narrow neck on the floor, which contained monkeys’ favorite food inside. They’d then step back and hide anywhere, waiting for the animal to approach.
When it did, the monkey would reach there, grasp a fist around the food, and try to pull the food out of it. However, the narrow neck of the jar would stop the poor monkey from getting their hand out of the jar. The monkey tried to pull and pull, but to no avail. There was simply no way to get its hand out of the jar without releasing the food.
Rather than letting go, though, the monkey refused to drop its dinner. The hunters would then approach and catch the monkey to enjoy their own meal. “Don’t be like that monkey,” warned the man to his son, “In life, to live another day and grow as a person, you must know when to quit, when to move on, and when to let go of whatever’s holding you back.”
Moral of the story:
Sometimes you have to let go and give up what you have now, in order to receive something better in the coming future. Don’t let stubbornness be the reason for your defeat.